History of Medieval India

Hazarat Mohammad

• Born in Mecca, 570-571 AD, in a Quarish family.
• Father died before birth; mother died when he was 6 years old.
• Raised by his uncle.
• Married Khadijah bint Khuwaylid at the age of 25; she was the first to embrace Islam after Muhammad.
• At age 40, received the first revelation from God.
• Began preaching about the oneness of God three years later.
• Faced opposition and hostility from some Mecca tribes.
• Migrated to Medina in 622 AD; this event is called Hijra, marking the start of the Islamic Calendar.

Hijri Calendar

• A Lunar Calendar with 12 months and 354-355 days.
• Begins with the year of Hijra (622 AD).
• The Islamic year can be calculated using a specific formula due to the differences between the lunar and solar calendars.
• Primary use today is for religious purposes.

Spread of Islam

• Number of followers increased; Muhammad returned to Mecca in 630 AD and established Islam.
• Islam began to spread further after Muhammad's death in 632 AD.

Punjab and Sind at the Time of Harsha

• Punjab was under the rule of the Huna Kingdom during Huen Tsang’s visit.
• Mihirkula, the ruler, was hostile to Buddhism and destroyed many Buddhist monasteries.
• Sind was ruled by a lower-caste king who supported Buddhism.
• Harsha controlled central India and was the last native monarch before the Mohammedan conquest.
• After Harsha's death, India saw internal conflicts due to a lack of central power.
• For 500 years, India remained relatively free from foreign invasions except for a few Arab excursions in Sind and Gujarat.